Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay breaks down how he spends a typical 15-hour workday
His restaurants have 14 precious Michelin Stars among them, and for more than two decades he's produced countless books and TV series. He also manages his own production company, One Potato Two Potato.
"I work my ass off," Ramsay said in a recent Reddit Ask-Me-Anything (AMA). He's currently in the middle of taping "MasterChef" episodes for Fox in Los Angeles, while his family is in London.
He explained what his 15- to 16-hour days have looked like recently:
- Wake up at 5:00 a.m.
- Go to the gym.
- Have plain oatmeal for breakfast.
- Take care of anything related to American businesses. Tape "MasterCef" until 9:00 or 10:00 p.m.
- Have something quick to eat.
- Call his family at midnight, West Coast time, to talk to his kids in London before they head off to school.
- Catch up with his business in London.
- Go to sleep at 2:00 a.m.
Ramsay said he keeps himself energized by being involved in many projects at once and never staying in one place for too long. He adopted this intense approach in 1998 when he founded his first restaurant, which was named after himself, in Chelsea, England.
The secret to being able to withstand such a demanding schedule, he said, is taking full advantage of Saturdays and Sundays.
"My flagship restaurant in Chelsea has never been open on a Saturday and Sunday - it's never been open on a weekend, because I thought if we're going to do this, I'd like to do this properly, so my staff needs time off," he wrote. "So I work hard, but I give myself time off on the weekend. I cut it off, and power down for 48 hours."